Motor vehicle



Se t. 14, 1937. v. A. BOWMAN MOTOR VEHICLE Filed July 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inuentnr' V.FI.EJDWMFIN I Fltturng Se t. 14, 1937. v. A. BOWMAN MOTOR VEHICLE Filed July 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor V.F1.E|DINMFIN IEI .0

Pitt-0111153 Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 24, 1936, Serial No. 92,395

, In Canada April 6, 1936 3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles, and an object of my invention is to devise a motor vehicle equipped with orthodox Wheels conventionally disposed for use on bare roads in summer which may be alternatively repositioned and used in conjunction with endless crawler tracks and skis for use on snow covered ground in winter, and on which alternatively both wheels and skis may be positioned at the same time to adapt the vehicle for use over ground which may be either snow covered or bare as is the case in the spring or fall seasons.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a motor vehicle in which duplicate pairs of wheels and duplicate pairs of skis are provided, one pair each of the wheels and skis being spaced standard automobile tread width and one 'pair being spaced standard sleigh runner width, so that the vehicle is adapted to travel over roads which have been rutted by either automobiles or sleighs without its path being confined to that of the ruts.

Yet another object is to provide a motor vehicle wherein the motor is disposed above a pair of driving wheels and wherein journal means are provided for a second pair of wheels which are adapted to serve alternatively as idler wheels for carrying crawler tracks belted to the driving wheels when the vehicle is to be used on snow covered ground or as conventional spare wheels for the vehicle when it is used on bare ground.

A still further object of my invention is to devise novel types of skis and crawler tracks for a vehicle adapted to be used on snow-covered ground.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter appear as the specification proceeds, my invention consists, in its preferred embodiment, of the construction and arrangement 'all' as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

'Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved motor Vehicle as equipped for travelling over snow-covered ground; I

Fig. 2 is aplan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of my vehicle as equipped for travelling over bare ground and showing in broken lines the position occupied by skis which may be used when the vehicle travels over ground which may be alternatively bare and snow-covered;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the front end of my vehicle as equipped for travelling over ground which may be alternatively bare and snow-covered;

driving wheel, the alternative position of the journal support being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail side elevational view of the idler wheel journal support shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 'l-'I of Fig. 1 through one of the crawler tracks used on my vehicle for travelling over snow-covered ground;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through one of the skis used on my vehicle, taken along the line 88 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of one of the forward wheel or ski journals of the vehicle showing in Vertical section a means for positioning either wheels or skis thereon.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings, my motor vehicle includes a frame I of conventional construc- The, motor is preferably vertically swingable on pivot bearings 3 on the frame connected to the forward end of the motor, the rearward end of the latter floating on springs 4 connected to the frame and to a driving axle housing 5 carried by the transmission housing 6 of the motor. The forward end of the frame is provided with an axle I carried by springs 8 connected, to the frame, such axle having wheel or ski journals 9 swingable on conventional steering knuckles l simultaneously operable for steering by a rod H which may be connected to a steering wheel or the like (not shown).

On the frame I forwardly of the axle housing a pair of arms l2 are provided which are swingable on pivots I3 secured to the frame, and from the free ends of which wheel journals 14 extend transversely. Stops l5 are adapted to position such arms with the journals 14' on a horizontal line with the axle in the housing 5, as shown in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6, and stops I6 to position the arms in an upwardly and rearwardly swung position as indicated by the broken lines in such figures for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

, tion, in the rear of which a motor 2 is mounted.

Wheels ll, eight in number and preferably of journal Sis adapted to receive the bearings 2! of a pair of the skis, spaced apart by means such as a collar 30 provided with a set-screw 3|, and secured against displacement by means such as a nut 32 on the free end of the journal, or alternatively to receive the bearing 2| of one ski. and the hub bearing of one of the wheels H, or to receive a single ski or a single wheel. Similarly each journal I4 and each driving axle is provided with means such as the collar 30' whereby either one or two wheels maybe positioned thereon. The lengths of the struts ZO are such that the vertical distance from the axis of the bearing 2| to the lower surface of the ski is appreciably less than the outer radius of a tire l8.

, Each ski also may be provided with an 'au'xiliary wheel 22 journalled inbrackets 23: on the' upper surface of the ski and adapted to project partially through and run freely-in a-slot in the bottom of the ski. A tapered flange 24 may also be provided on the lower surface of the ski lonthe vehicle belted together with a crawler track.

as-shown in Figs. 1 and '2. Such-trackmay comprisean'endless-resilient belt 25 of tubularsection, :asbest illustrated in Fig. 7 ,adapted to lie between and frictionally' engage-the side-walls of thetires I8; and to which transverse traction members 26-of right angular 1 cross-section which engagethetreads-ofthe tires are secured inter-' mediately of their-ends by links 21-" passing through the wall-of the belt 25'and attached to that the-longitudinal centre lines of the innerwheels and skis are 5 spaced a distance equal to an endlss' chain 28 disposed in the bore-of the beltz .Thememb'erslfi are maintainedat right angles to thebelt 25 by-means of chains29 joining adjacent ends'of the members-. 7

To adapt my-vehiclefor use over snow covered ground; one pair ofskis is positioned on each of the journals 9, one pair of -wheels is attached to each end of'the driving axle, a pair of wheels is 45.-

positioned on each of r the journals M with the latter-positioned-asshown -in thefull lines of Figs: 5 and 6,: =and then thecrawle1-tracksare belted+between the pairs of "wheels on eachside-'- It should -be-notedthat-the 1 of the vehicle. mountings for the wheelsand skis are-s0 disposed standard sleigh runner spacing; and that-the longitudinal centre lines of the outer 'wheelsand skis are spaced a distance equal to standard automobile tread spacing.

When the vehicle is; to be used-lover ground which' m'ay-be alternately snow covered or bare,

' the c-rawler tracks are removed from the wheels:

the" arms l2-'are ;swungupwardlvagainstthe stops l6 to bring the wheels onthe-journals I4 out of -='contact with the groundiand the outer ski of -each' -pair-isremovedfrom the journals -9 and replaced by one of "the inner wheels removed from the driving axle. When thus equipped, the

vehicle is" propelled over either snow or -bare ground 'by'the driving wheels, and on bare ground the front of the vehicle" rides; on the wheels on,

the journals 9, such wheels projecting below. the

10 skis so that the latter are clear of the ground;

on snow-covered when travelling over snow the inner skis provide additional support for the'front of the vehicle.

If desired, of course, one of each pair of wheels from-the journals I4 may be used to replace the skis, leaving thedual wheels on the driving axle to provide greater traction for the vehicle.

When the vehicle is to be used for driving over bare'ground only, the inner skis used for both 'snowcovered and bare ground are removed, and

one wheel only is'used on'each end of the driving ax1e,.iri the outermost position, leavingthe vehicle...,equipped as a conventional automobile. When-the vehicle is equipped as above for use on snow only, the auxiliary wheels 22 permit the vehicle to be driven over a bare surface, such as a garage floor, for short.distanceswithout injuring the skis, and such wheels andflanges;

24 also cut into the snow andiassist,innsteering t the skis when;the latter are, turned at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

the -vehicle by. preventing, lateral slippage of An advantage of my improved motor vehicle f is that, by virtue of the weight of the engine be,;

ing disposed over thedriving wheels, the tractive effort obtained is a maximum for the amount of power expended by the motor.

A further advantage is that by the use-of:the;.

double sets of. wheels andskis any tendencyof the vehicle to become caught in ruts inasur;

face travelled by other. vehicles is eliminated,

Yet another advantage of my improved con struction is "that'it provides a ;vehicle whichlcan; be adapted very easily and with a minimum of,

extra parts for use'e'ither in heavy snow 0r,-.on bare highways withoutlosing in either case any. of the advantages of the conventional automobile.

'7 What I claim as my invention -is' 1'..In'a motorvehicl, a frame, a. motor disposed in therear thereof, a transversely ldisposed rear. axle. driven by the, motor, a front, axle. in.

cluding a pair, of journals swingable on steering knuckles, apair of idler. wheel journals mounted on the frame forwardly of. the rear axle, a pair. ,J of independently. removable Wheels on. each' end.

of therear axle, a pair of independently remov? ablewheels oneach idler wheel, journal, a, pair-;.

of. independently removable skis oneach front axle journal, 2. pair of, endless crawler tracks adapted tobelt .each pair of .wheelson the rearf axle to the corresponding pair of idler wheels,... and meansfor alternatively positioning. the-idler" wheel journals in line with thejrear. axleandthe. front axle for belting the wheelson the-.rear axle.

linejoining. the rearand front. axles for. carrying the idler .wheels'free of..connect'ion withgthe;

rear axle wheels. r

I to the idler wheels, and in a positionabovethe,

2; A motor vehiclehas claimed .cmim 1, whereinthefouter wheels of eachv Da iiand. the

outersskis of each pairare spaced standard'auto mobile tread ,spacing, and. the innerewheels of each pair and the; inner ski s. of each, pair, are spaced standard sleigh runner spacing;

3. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 whereinv the means for alternatively positioningeachi idler wheel journal ,comprisesan ann pivotedat.

one end to' the frame and having thejournal positioned in its freeextremity, and stfop.means for positioning the arm with the journal in each of the alternative positions.

' VERN ASA BOWMAN. 

